


Green Glowing Eyes

by TheDarkKillerLady



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anbu Haruno Sakura, BAMF Haruno Sakura, BAMF Nohara Rin, Canon-Typical Violence, Child Soldiers, Gen, Haruno Sakura-centric, Hurt/Comfort, I will change the future so much, Kushina will be badass in this fic, No Uchiha Massacre, Reincarnation, Sakura is Reincarnated into Zaku, Sakura is now Inner Sakura, Team as Family, Time Travel, War, Warning that kids knows too much about sex, no beta we die like Jiraiya
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-12
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-16 20:42:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 20,008
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28712976
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheDarkKillerLady/pseuds/TheDarkKillerLady
Summary: Sasuke killed Naruto after the war and then Sakura. She expected to die, not wake up in a baby's body before the Third Shinobi War started.She now has the chance to change the future so her friends will have it better. The only problem is that she can't control her new body. Sakura needs Zaku to help her save the world.
Relationships: Haku & Haruno Sakura, Haruno Sakura & Nohara Rin, Haruno Sakura & Original Female Character(s), Haruno Sakura & Original Male Character(s), Haruno Sakura & Uchiha Itachi, Haruno Sakura & Uchiha Shisui, Haruno Sakura & Zaku, Hatake Kakashi & Nohara Rin & Uchiha Obito, Namikaze Minato/Uzumaki Kushina, Uchiha Itachi & Uchiha Shisui, Uzumaki Kushina & Haruno Sakura & Uchiha Shisui
Comments: 8
Kudos: 91





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> WARNING: There will be gore, child soldiers, violence, implied sex, kids who know too much about sex in this fanfiction. If you don't like to read this, then you don't need to read it.
> 
> Kishimoto owns the Naruto world and its characters. The only thing that's mine is the OC's I've made.
> 
> English is not my first language, so if there is any grammar wrong here, just say it, and I will fix it.

She had always imagined that if she died, she would not be aware of it. Like she wasn’t aware that she dreamed. So when Haruno Sakura got a chidori through her chest, she had expected to die finally. There was nothing in the world that could hold her back anymore. Naruto, the only one who could convince Sasuke to let go of the darkness, was killed by his hand. Killing Naruto would make sure that no one could wake up from the Infinite Tsukuyomi. Ino, Tsunade, her mother, father and everyone she loves would never wake up again. Sakura had never really felt like she hated Sasuke. Not when he had left her on the bench, not when he had called her annoying, not even when he had tried to kill her multiple times. There had always been love when she thought about him. But when he had taken everyone she loved from her, a wave of burning anger bubbled inside of her. Sakura didn’t believe she had hated anyone more than she hated Sasuke during that moment. 

But she had been so foolish. That hatred had blinded her from realizing that she could not beat Sasuke. She had left Kakashi alone there, and he will probably die too. Sakura’s thoughts broke when she no longer was in a room of blackness. What surprised her more was when she saw the Sage of Six Paths in front of her. 

“Aren’t I supposed to be dead?” That was the first question she asked. She definitely could still feel how painful it was when she got the chidori through her chest. But how can she yet see him if she was dead?

“Yes, you are dead. The only reason why I can talk to you is that I stole your soul before the Shinigami could take it,” the God of Shinobi answered. “I have a task for you.”

She raised her eyebrows. During the two last days, many strange things happened, and talking to a person who is a god is not the strangest one. “Why me? Why not Naruto? I believe that he is a better person for your task.”

He sighed. “Naruto-kun is bright and can convince his enemies to see through the path of light. But my task is not something Naruto could complete. He is far too trusting, and that could risk the mission. But even if he could complete the mission, he lacks the yin chakra you have, so his soul would not likely survive the trip.”

Sakura had a feeling she knew what he was going to ask her to do. “You want me to go back in time to my own body before this happened? So I could prevent the war from happening?”

The Sage shook his head. “No. That would be too late. I will put you in a body before the third great ninja war starts. You will likely have no control over the body I-”

“Huh? Why?” she interrupted. “How will I then prevent the war?”

He held up a hand to silence her. “It’s impossible for me to give you full control over the body. Not even I have that kind of power. Your host will have your memories, but you have to awaken them during an age where the brain is mature enough to handle it. Probably at the age of five or six. I have not much time to explain, but I trust you to succeed in this mission.”

Sakura couldn’t help but not feel safe by those words. If she failed, then the world would be gone.

* * *

_ What does this character mean?  _ Zaku asked and pointed at one of the characters in her book.

_ That means lamb _ , Sakura explained.

Zaku kept it in her memory before she asked Sakura what the other characters meant. Ever since she could remember, she had always had Sakura in her mind. When she had told her mama and brother about her, they thought she was an imaginary friend. Zaku didn’t believe it. How could Sakura be imaginary if she taught her to read? She would have told them about it, but Sakura had said she should keep it a secret. Good friends support each other’s secrets, and she was a good friend. 

“Zaku,” her mama interrupted her lesson. “Can you stay in the bathroom? I have a client.”

“Yes, mama.”

She took her book and went to the bathroom, and her brother was already there. Hiroshi-nii shook his head when he heard moanings and deep breaths. Zaku still didn’t understand what her mother did to her clients to make such noises.

“Nii-chan, can’t you just tell me what they are doing inside?” She asked the same question she always did when mama sent them to the bathroom.

He shook his head. “You will know when you are a bit older.”

_ Sakura-nee? _

_ No! _

“UGH! YOU’RE SO BIG!” Mama screamed. Zaku couldn’t help but feel a bit worried about her. 

She could hear a loud smack from the other room. 

“YOU FUCKING SLUT! HUNGRY FOR COCK AIN’T YA?”

She couldn’t take it anymore. Zaku didn’t know what many of those words meant, but she knew they were terrible words, and the man inside seemed to hurt and insult her mama! She would not let him get away with it. Before Hiroshi could stop her, she opened the door and saw a big man slapping mama’s butt. They were naked and were close to each other. What were they doing?

“STOP HURTI-”

Hiroshi covered her mouth with his hand and dragged her back to the bathroom. She could hear how mama was apologizing to the man, but he only laughed.

“Are you stupid?” Nii-chan asked; his eyes were glaring at her. “I told you that kaa-chan must be done with her job before you can go in there.”

“He was hurting her, nii-chan! And he was really mean to her too!” Zaku protested. How could nii-chan just let him hurt mama?

“That’s her job,  _ Sakura  _ .” She stared at him. He only used her name if he was serious. “If you want to know, then I will tell you. kaa-chan is a prostitute. She lets men do anything to her body so she can feed us.”

“Anything?” She asked, confused.

He shook his head. “Not anything. Her job is to please her clients.” When her face told her that she didn’t understand, he sighed. “I can’t believe  _ I  _ have to explain this. Boys have something called a penis, and they like to put it in a vagina; girls have those. When the penis gets warm, a liquid that is called sperm then comes out of the penis. If the sperm comes into the vagina, then the girl will likely get pregnant. The process is called sex. Kaa-chan often has sex with her clients, and they don’t hurt her.”

_ Wow! For someone who is nine, he’s mature. It makes me sad that he needed to grow up so fast. _

Zaku didn’t understand what Sakura meant by that. “So that’s why we don’t know who our papa is?”

Nii-chan nodded. “Yes. But we probably don’t have the same tou-chan. I am five years older than you, so we are half-siblings.”

“But we have the same hair and eye color! So we must have the same papa!” She insisted. It should be impossible for them not to be siblings. They both had raspberry red hair and dark green eyes. Their nose, mouth, and eye shape was the same. How could they not have the same papa?

“Most of it is from kaa-chan.”

Zaku wanted to argue more, but she knew nii-chan was right. It didn’t stop her from glaring at him. She continued with her lesson with Sakura and tried to ignore the moans from the other room beside her.

* * *

Zaku hadn’t expected her interruption to have caused mama problems. The Madam had been angry when she had found out that she had screamed at the client. Nii-chan and her eavesdropped from the bathroom while they argued with each other. 

“It’s my fault for letting you keep the children. I should have let them go to the orphanage,” the older woman ranted. “It would have been the best.”

Mama glared at her. “You know what would happen if I let them live there! They would either live on the street, starved, and would possibly get raped or murdered. Or they would be sold and be treated like animals. And if they are lucky, they would be trained to be shinobis. But even the training here is dangerous. Last month a boy killed his whole class! He’s the same age as Hiroshi! If I had left him at the orphanage, he could have gotten murdered!”

Madam took a step forward. They were just a few inches from each other’s faces. “And you don’t think living in a brothel is bad for them,” she asked, her voice was colder and darker. “You know exactly what will happen to your daughter. In a few years, she will be a prostitute. A young girl with beautiful red hair, the men will love to have her in bed. And your boy is also very pretty. If we started his training now, he would be popular.”

“Living here is a better option than letting them live on their own. I can at least take care of Hiroshi and Zaku and make sure they will not go through more trauma than necessary.” 

Zaku couldn’t see mama’s face, but she had a feeling she used her determined face. Her green eyes became lighter, her red hair seemed alive, and the room felt colder than usual. She looked dangerously beautiful, and nothing would make mama change her mind. So it wasn’t a surprise when Madam left her there with a warning. Zaku felt confused about their conversation.

_ Nee-chan! Why doesn’t Madam want us here? _

Sakura was silent. Zaku suddenly felt irritation. Why does no one answer her questions? Only nii-chan gave her the ones, but it took a lot of time for her to convince him.

She looked up at him. “Hiro-nii, why doesn’t Madam want us here?”

Zaku was surprised when he looked her dead in the eyes and answered. “Right now, we are not useful. We are taking money and food without doing anything. If I don’t start my training soon, Madam will probably kick us out.”

It hurt her feelings that Madam didn’t think they were useful. Zaku had always thought of the older woman as her grandma. While she was strict, she was still kind to her. It was probably best if she didn’t know too much about it.

“Can boys work here too?” She asked, instead. Zaku had seen older boys working here, but she had always thought they cooked the dinner or cleaned the place. 

Hiroshi nodded. “There are men who prefer their gender, so I will probably try to please them instead. Women rarely go to this kind of place if they don’t have a job here.”

“Do you like guys?”

“I don’t know. It doesn’t matter what I like. A client is a client.”

Zaku didn’t like her brother’s tone. He usually joked and smiled most of the time. But now, his voice was robotic and apathetic, and he sounded so defeated. She hugged him, but even that didn’t seem to make him smile.

* * *

Hiroshi’s training had started. He spends less time with her and more with mama. Zaku spied on them and only saw how mama taught him how to go, dance, dress, pour tea, talk, and other things. She observed every lesson mama gave him and repeated them to herself. If she proved she was useful to Madam, then they wouldn’t get kicked out. 

Zaku tried to dance as gracefully as her mama did, but it didn’t seem to work. Maybe it looked weird because she didn’t have the curves mama had. 

_ Nee-chan! Why can’t I dance as well as mama?  _ She wined.

_ You are not old enough to do this! You are only four, for kami’s sake! You are not supposed to do these kinds of things!  _

_ Why? Nii-chan is only nine, and he can do it!  _ She argued.

_ He also shouldn’t do it! You should play and be happy! Not trying to learn how to seduce adults _ , Sakura roared. Zaku had never heard her so angry.  _ I will teach you a way to escape from all of this!  _

Zaku sat on the floor, and she began to feel curious. If there were a way to make sure her mama and brother were happy and not sad, she would do it.  _ How? _

_ Chakra. _

* * *

Zaku had stopped spying on nii-chan’s lessons. Instead, she listened to Sakura while she explained how chakra worked and how to use it. It was boring, but it was for mama and nii-chan, so she endured it. She spends most of her time feeling the energy inside her while she meditated to make it bigger. And when she didn’t meditate, Sakura would explain what someone could do with chakra. 

_ What is genjutsu, and how do you fight against it?  _ Sakura asked after she had explained what genjutsu is.

_ Genjutsu is how you make illusions and-and the person who cast it can control their victim’s five senses. Pain or dis-rup-ting the chakra can help you stop the illusions.  _ Zaku recalled what Sakura said.  _ But how do you do that? _

_ You say kai and try to change your chakra flow. _

_ But how do I know I am in a genjutsu?  _ Zaku started to feel worried. It was terrible if there were people who could use illusions on her without her knowing.

_ You need experience. But until you learn how to dispel a genjutsu, I will help you. Okay?  _

She still felt worried, but Sakura’s reassuring words soothed it. 

_ Okay. But when will I learn taijutsu?  _ She tried to change the subject. Zaku knew that her chakra levels were too small to do any jutsus, but taijutsu should be something she could learn.

_ Now? _

* * *

Zaku did push-ups, sit-ups, squats, and carried heavy things to become strong enough to be ready for taijutsu. She would have pushed herself more, but Sakura said it was unhealthy and would damage her growth. So she only trained thirty minutes per day. What confused her was when she learned katas; it seemed like her mind knew precisely what she needed to do. It was like there were pictures in her head that showed her how to do it. 

_ It frustrates me how there is so much to teach, but I can’t because we are in a bathroom. Do you have any idea how many germs there are in here? It’s not good for your health to stay in here all day.  _ Sakura ranted for the fifth time this day.  _ You can’t improve your speed or reflexes by waiting here.  _

_ I know, but you know that there are bad people outside.  _

Sakura sighed.  _ I know, Kiri during these times is dangerous. Especially in the red light district.  _

Zaku didn’t know before what her village name was. Usually, everyone called it the village. But Sakura had taught her how her village and four others, Konoha, Suna, Kumo, and Iwa, were the world’s five biggest villages. Her geography lesson should be harder to understand when she didn’t have a map, but somehow, she knew how the map looked. 

Hiroshi and mama were confused over how sweaty and hungry she always seemed to be when they checked on her. But they never asked questions. 

* * *

The brothel was on fire. Zaku had woken up by smelling the smoke and hearing screams outside. Nii-chan grabbed her hand and moved her away from the fire. Their door was on fire, and the fire started to come closer to them. 

“We need to jump,” mama said shakily, opening their window. “Or we’ll die.”

They were on the first floor, but it was still high enough for them to get hurt. Zaku remembered how Sakura had taught her how to fall.

“Protect yo-your head and ke-keep your elbows and knees bent and tr-try to fall on your side,” she stammered while she tried to explain how to fall. “Like this.”

Before any of them could say something, Zaku jumped and followed the instructions she told. She felt a little pain on her side, but otherwise, she wasn’t hurt. Nii-chan jumped; his fall wasn’t as good as hers, but he wasn’t hurt. Mama came after a few seconds; she stood up and limped forward. She grabbed both of their arms and moved them away as far from the brothel as possible. While everyone’s attention was on the building, no one noticed how they escaped. When they were far enough to not see the fire, they stopped.

“It’s dangerous for us to come back,” mama began to say. “A powerful man was not happy with our service and burned it down. We need to find a new home.”

Nii-chan face paled. “Was it the man from yesterday?” 

Mama nodded. That gesture was enough to make him cry. Zaku had never seen him cry before, so she immediately hugged her older brother. She stroked his back while she let him cry.

“Who is he?” She wanted to hurt the man who made her nii-chan cry. 

“He’s a shinobi, so he is very dangerous. He wanted me to sell Hiroshi-chan to him, and I said no. He said I would regret it before he left,” mama answered, and she also looked like she wanted to cry but held it back. “He will probably try to find your brother again, so we need to hide.”

_ Sakura, how can I protect nii-chan if someone so dangerous is after him?  _

_ You can’t right now. But if you ever face that man, I will help you. _

* * *

They hadn’t found a place to live. Mama had said that living in a brothel would make him find them, and living in the red light district was too dangerous. But they didn’t have money, so they needed to live on the streets. Mama still had sex with men to get money, but the money was not enough to quench the hunger. Zaku was a bit worried about her because she always came back with more bruises on her arms. Nii-chan had asked if he could follow, but mama had said no. So when she wasn’t there, Zaku and Hiroshi would try to steal food from the shops. They had been caught many times in the beginning, but they were fast enough to escape. Nii-chan had come up with the idea that he would try to distract the shop owner while she would put so many things in her clothes as possible. Their tactic was better than before, and they didn’t get caught as much as before. 

Zaku would never tell nii-chan that she liked living here more than the brothel. Here, she had much more freedom, and she didn’t need to stay in the same place all the time. She didn’t need to hear mama having sex. Zaku could run and feel the fresh air. Her lessons with Sakura had become better, and she had also learned to become faster. The only bad thing was that it was so cold during the nights, and it was worse when it rained. She was surprised that none of them got a cold. It didn’t help the fact that there was a dangerous man after her brother. Zaku felt shame that she was happy while a nasty man was after him.

She was exhausted after her taijutsu lesson with Sakura when she came back to their spot. Mama sat on the floor with her hand in her face. What was she doing here? She usually wasn’t here during this hour. What stopped Zaku from asking her those questions was hearing her mama cry.

“Mama! Are you okay? What happened?”

The older woman took her hands out of her face and showed her beautiful face. Even though her face was a bit bruised and eyes dried because of her tears, mama was still beautiful. 

“He-he took Hi-Hiroshi,” mama stammered. Zaku had never seen her calmed and collected mama so out of control before. It scared her. “I-I am a bad mama! It’s my-my fault.”

The bad man had taken her brother. He had taken her nii-chan. Zaku hugged mama while she felt tears run down her cheeks. It felt like they sat there together for years before they stood up. Zaku promised to herself that she would one day find nii-chan and save him.

* * *

“We will move to Konoha,” mama told her with no emotions in her voice. “There will be a war soon, and Konoha is probably the safest village to live in.”

Zaku nodded without saying anything. It was two weeks ago since that man kidnaped nii-chan. Tears were filling her eyes. For the first time in her life, she would miss her brother’s birthday. She would today be five years old. And it didn’t help that mama and her relationship wasn’t the same anymore. She didn’t know why mama took a distance from her.

_ Maybe you should talk to each other about it?  _ Sakura advised, and Zaku thought it was a good idea, so she tried.

“Mama!”

“Yes?”

“Why don’t you talk to me?”

For the first time in two weeks, she could see emotions in her mama’s eyes. She sighed and looked more tired than ever.

“It had nothing to do with you, Zaku. I am more disappointed in myself for-for letting someone take my child.”

She frowned. “But you didn’t let them take nii-chan! They hurt you and then kidnapped him! So it’s not your fault!”

A forced smile grew on mama’s lips. “I know. But a mother has to protect her children, and I failed. I know it was impossible to save him, but I still feel it’s my fault.”

Zaku didn’t understand why she felt guilty when it was impossible to save him, so she hugged mama. Nii-chan had always said that hugging someone would make them feel better. 

“You are the best mama!”

She hoped the older woman would feel better. But deep down, she knew that a hug and pretty words wouldn’t help her.

* * *

They had a ninja to guard them during their journey to Konoha. Zaku had asked the ninja a lot of questions, but the older woman hadn’t given her any good answers and seemed annoyed by her presence, so she had stopped. Her legs ached by walking so much, and it had been nice when she didn’t have to walk when they took a boat from Water country to fire. Zaku looked for the first time in her life at the ocean. The water had a blue-greyish color, and it shined even though clouds blocked the sun. She must tell nii-chan- her chest hurt. He wasn’t here anymore. Maybe they would never see each other again, she thought, and Zaku could feel how tears fell out from her eyes. 

_ Don’t think like that. That man must have wanted something from Hiroshi, so he will likely keep him alive _ , Sakura reassured her. 

_ Maybe you are right. I will save nii-chan. _

She wiped away her tears. Crying wouldn’t save Hiroshi-nii; she needed to become stronger. Mama put a hand to her shoulder.

“What happened?”

“I just thought about Hiro-nii. I’m okay now.”

Mama gave her a worried look but didn’t ask more. Instead, she put Zaku on her lap and hugged her from behind. She closed her eyes, and they stayed like that until they were on land. 

Zaku wasn’t happy when she found out that it would take them a week before they came to Konoha. Fire country was big, and Konoha laid further north, far away from Kiri. She was happy that they didn’t meet any people who wanted to steal from them, so their journey was safe. When they finally were in the leaf village, mama paid the shinobi with a lot of money before the woman left.

“Mama, how did you get so much money?”

Zaku noticed how she froze for a second before she gave her a sad smile. “I had hoped we could escape here before  _ he  _ would take Hiroshi, so that’s why I always saved some of the money I got when I did my job.” 

_ We will find your brother  _ . Sakura’s voice filled her head.  _ And our journey starts here. _

_ Huh? _

_ You will become a shinobi.  _

* * *

Zaku noticed how different her life in Konoha was from Kiri. In her former village, she could never go out, and if she did, then mama and nii-chan were always there. After living here in a few weeks, mama had let her go out more on her own.

_ Why does mama let me go out more?  _ She had asked Sakura.

_ There are more criminals in Kiri than in Konoha. That’s because the mist shinobi are focused on other things and are ignoring the civilians. It’s a lot easier to get away with crime than it was before. That’s why it’s more dangerous for you, a child, to walk alone.  _ Sakura answered darkly.

_ I like it here. It will be easier for me to train before I start the academy.  _ Zaku started to meditate, and they didn’t talk more during that evening.

When she came back to her room, mama was already there. The academy entrance exam would start in two weeks, and it was best if they talked about it now.

“Mama, I want to be a shinobi,” she said, straight to the subject. 

She sighed. “I know.”

“What? How do you know?”

Mama chuckled. “You don’t think I didn’t notice how sweaty and dirty you always are when I see you? You also asked that ninja a lot of questions.” She stopped laughing and put on a more serious face. “Are you sure about it? There will be a war soon, and you will kill, see people you know die, and there will be a chance you will be killed and tortured. It’s a dirty job where you will question what’s right and wrong, or you will maybe become a mindless killer.”

_ Wow! She doesn’t do sweet talk.  _ Zaku ignored Sakura and stared at her mama with widened eyes. She had expected her to say it was a dangerous job, but not this. 

Would she kill to get nii-chan back? Would she risk her life to get nii-chan back? Zaku then remembered how nii-chan would always comfort her when she was scared or how he took care of her when mama wasn’t there. He still had the answers and didn’t leave her in the dark.  _ Yes.  _ She  _ would  _ do it.

“Yes. I want to be a shinobi so I can find nii-chan and save him from that  _ man _ ,” she said confidently. Her eyes looked like they had green flames in them. “I will become stronger so I can beat him!”

She was silent for a minute before she smiled. “I believe in you. But if you ever feel like you don’t want to, tell me.”

“Yes, mama!”

* * *

_ Zaku, have you ever wondered why I know things you don’t?  _ Sakura asked during one of their theory sessions. In one week, the entrance exam would start, and she needed to be ready. 

_ Yeah, why? _

_ I thought it was best if I told you before you start the academy _ , Sakura began.  _ Do you know what reincarnation means? _

_ No. _

_ It means that after you die, you will become a new person. And I have been reincarnated into you _ , Sakura explained.

_ So when I die, I will become like you? _

_ No. Usually, when someone gets reincarnated, they lose all their memories of their life before. I want to show you how my life was before I died. _

Zaku had an excited smile on her lips.  _ Show me! Show me! _

_ It’s dangerous. When I show you my memories, it will become harder for you to know what’s you and what’s me. There is a risk that we will become the same person, and I don’t want to take your life from you. So before I show you my life, I want you to remember that this is  _ not  _ you. Okay?  _

Zaku didn’t like how worried Sakura sounded.  _ Okay. _

_ This is  _ Haruno  _ Sakura. Not Zaku. Be prepared. _

The flash of memories that went through her mind shocked her.

* * *

_ “Forehead! Forehead! Forehead!” Ami and her friends sang while they danced around me. _

_ “Please! Leave me alone!” I tried to say, but they didn’t listen. _

_ When I later left the playground, my head still could hear how they sang forehead. I have pink hair and an ugly forehead. No one wants me! _

_ I love Ino, but I can’t stay in her shadow forever. When people saw me, they always thought of me as ‘Ino’s friend,’ not Sakura. I need to be my own person, and being with Ino won’t help me. Suddenly Sasuke-kun walked past me with the same emotionless face he always had. I could feel the butterflies in my stomach. Ino liked Sasuke-kun too, and I wouldn’t let her win his heart! That would be one more thing Ino could that I couldn’t. _

_ Ha! I was on the same team as Sasuke-kun! Not that stupid pig! Of course, that irritating Naruto would be on the same team. The only plus was that Sasuke-kun was with her. I was a bit hurt when he didn’t want to go out with me, but that’s because he is so serious about his training. He is so cool and so mature! Not like the other stupid boys who are always so loud and silly! Like Naruto! _

_ I was so… weak. I didn’t do anything! Even Naruto, who is the dead last, did more things than I did! I just stood there doing nothing while Sasuke-kun almost died! How could I, who was one of the highest scored students, be so weak? I need to get stronger and not let Sasuke-kun and Naruto protect me! The Wave incident won’t happen again! _

_ I cut my hair off. Long hair would not benefit me in fights. This time… I will protect them! It was quite clear that I didn’t stand a chance. They all knew more jutsus and were more skilled than me. My taijutsu wasn’t that good, and I only knew how to climb a tree without hands, the clone, and the transformation jutsu. But if I could give them more time, then I would do anything! Rock Lee came out of nowhere during that moment, and if I survive this, I will thank him. I got punched and kicked, but I still fought. From the corner of my eye, I saw how Rock Lee was hurt. I tried to get out of the older boy’s grip, but I stopped when I saw Sasuke-kun stand up. His whole body was covered in black marks, and he had a creepy smile on his lips. Dark chakra was clinging around him like they wanted to eat his chakra. I had never been this afraid in my whole life. This was not Sasuke-kun! The boy who had her down on the floor let her go and took a step back. _

_ Sasuke’s eyes went to her. “Who did this to you, Sakura?” _

_ I couldn’t get anything out of my mouth, but Sasuke seemed to know who did it because in a few seconds he had the boy who hurt her in a tight grip. I could hear how his bones cracked, and I couldn’t endure it. Without thinking, I hugged Sasuke, my tears were starting to wet his shirt, but I didn’t care. _

_ “Please, stop, Sasuke-kun.” _

_ Surprisingly, he listened. The black marks disappeared. What had that snake man done to him? _

_ I had said I would get more strong, but Sasuke-kun had only needed to hit the back of my neck to take me down. It was my fault for being too weak to stop him, and now Orochimaru might take his body! Naruto had left the village with Jiraiya-sama, and I would be left behind here. Kakashi-sensei hadn’t talked to me since Naruto left. He probably thought I was too weak to become a good shinobi. But I will prove to him that he was wrong. I will become strong enough not to see Naruto and Sasuke-kuns backs anymore! That was why I waited for Hokage-sama to let me see her in her office. _

_ “What do you want?” _

_ “Please, teach me,” I said, going directly to the subject, and bowed. _

_ Tsunade-sama’s training was a living hell. When I didn’t study medical books and trained to heal, shishõ would throw rocks, punch me hard, and do a lot of strength training. It was hard during the start, but after training with her in a year, things became more manageable. I was a lot better at dodging than I had initially, and I could help more in the hospital, now when I know more medical ninjutsu. When Naruto comes back, I think we will be strong enough to get Sasuke-kun back. I wish my byakugõ seal wouldn’t take so much time, and I would be a lot stronger then. _

_ I couldn’t believe that I took down an Akatsuki member! An S-ranked ninja! I wish Sasuke-kun saw me right now. He would then know that I wasn’t the same weak Sakura as I was before. But we will see each other soon, and then they could go back to Team 7 again! _

_ They didn’t go back to Team 7. Sasuke-kun was still after revenge. I- _

“ZAKU! ZAKU! ZAKU! YOU ARE ZAKU! NOT HARUNO SAKURA!” A voice screamed in her head. She then remembered that she was not Sakura. She was not the pink-haired girl. She was Zaku, little sister to Hiro-nii and daughter to mama! The memories continued.

_ Sakura couldn’t believe that seven people could destroy their village. Konoha had always stayed at the top when other villages tried to kill them. They still had a lot of strong ninjas. So to be crushed in a minute was a shock to Sakura. The only person she knew who could do the impossible was gone. Maybe this was the end for her. She would never see Sasuke-kun again. Revenge was consuming him, and they wouldn’t help him. _

_ “NARUTOOO!” _

_ She had been so stupid. To think she could kill Sasuke-kun. Sakura loved him; of course, it would be impossible for her to do that. She couldn’t believe that the man in front of her was the man she loved. Hatred showed on his face, and his voice was colder than ever. This wasn’t the Sasuke she loved. Why was he so angry that his brother was dead? Hadn’t he always wanted to kill his brother? She found out later what had happened during the Uchiha Massacre.  _

_ So many things had happened during the fourth great ninja war. Sakura had, in the beginning, taken care of the sick and hurt ones. She had heard how even though shishõ had sent him away, Naruto came back and fought harder than ever. A Zetsu had disguised itself as Neji and tried to kill her. Everyone found out that Madara was Obito, Kakashi-sensei’s friend and that the real Madara fought against the Five Kage before he joined Obito. Sakura remembered that she had read a file about how Obito had died and then given Kakashi his sharingan. Months later, his other teammate had killed herself by letting Kakashi’s chidori go through her. If she had gone to the village, the third tailed beast would have attacked the village. Later during the fight, she found out that Obito loved her and saw how dark and messed up this world was. Sasuke-kun and the four dead Hokage’s joined the fight. Sakura was happy that Sasuke didn’t seem to be in so much hate since they last met. However, she was surprised over why he wanted to be the Hokage. Sakura activated her byakugõ seal and smiled. She wouldn’t watch their backs anymore. _

_ When they finally thought they won, Kaguya came. She was a lot stronger than Madara. Sakura couldn’t help but think of how she still saw Sasuke-kun and Naruto’s backs while they fought. They had become stronger during the fight against Madara. She still needed to be rescued by them, she thought bitterly.  _

_ She hated him. Sakura had forgiven him for many things. She forgave him when he called her annoying and left her on that bench, she forgave him when he had made her so worried, she forgave him when he tried to kill her two times, she forgave him when he betrayed Konoha, she forgave him when he used a genjutsu on her, but what she couldn’t forgive him for was when he killed Naruto. Sakura stared down at the face that had always smiled. Tears ran down her cheeks, and she looked up to meet Sasuke’s eyes. They were empty, but she didn’t care. He had taken everyone she loved by killing Naruto. He had killed her friend.  _

_ “I hate you,” she said, venom on her tongue. “I HATE YOU!” _

_ Sakura had barely any chakra left; she ignored Kakashi’s cry and put so much chakra into her fist as she could. She had been too slow. Sasuke’s chidori went through her heart. Haruno Sakura died that day. _

_ Her mission was to prevent everything from happening. She would save the world from its destruction. _

* * *

Zaku woke up in the hospital. She was so confused. It felt like she had lived for many years, but it also felt like a dream. Looking into Sakura’s memories had, in some way, taking some of her innocence. She had just seen the world destroyed. That would happen in many years, and if she let it happen, then the people she loved would die. 

_ I will help you. _


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> English is not my first language, so if there is any grammar wrong here, just say it, and I will fix it.

She'd been in the hospital for three days. The healers had told her mother that she had been in a coma because of chakra exhaustion, and Zaku didn't miss the suspicious looks they gave her. They must think it was weird for an akasen kid even to know what chakra was. 

"Be more careful when you train with your chakra. It's easy for kids your age to get chakra exhaustion. If you get it too often, it will stunt your growth," had the healer told her before she could go home.

They didn't talk to each other during their entire walk. Zaku was still in a bit of shock with what she'd seen. She had just seen the whole world's downfall, and it was because of a creepy plantsman who manipulated strong people into doing his job. All of this would happen in twenty years. 

_ I have a plan, so don't worry. _

"Don't work yourself too hard, okay?" Her mother's voice suddenly filled her ears. Zaku hadn't noticed that they were in front of the brothel.

"Yes, kaa-chan."

"Kaa-chan? Not mama?" 

Zaku didn't move. Since when did she call mama kaa-chan? Was it because she had just seen all Sakura's memories and that had made her maturer?

_ Yes, but just because you've seen my memories doesn't make you mentally 17. You have just become a bit more mature _ , Sakura answered.

"Because I will soon be a shinobi and-and I need to act older," Zaku lied. Well, it was not a lie, but not the whole truth.

Mother ruffled her hair. "You don't need to act so strong in front of me, I'm your mama."

She smiled. Maybe not now, but one day. 

* * *

Zaku's first day in the Academy would start today. If Sakura hadn't trained her and taught her how to read, her time would've been more challenging here. Their goal was to make her graduate as fast as possible. She couldn't stay here in four years. 

There were already many kids in her new classroom. She had never talked to people her age. The kids in the akasen were either older than her or were babies. Zaku sat on the front seat beside a blonde girl with pigtails. The girl didn't seem to notice her, instead, she talked to her friend.

"I can't wait until we learn how to do ninjutsu," said the girl excitedly, and her friend nodded. 

Zaku wanted to talk to them, and they seemed to have an engaging conversation. But she had no idea how to speak to them without being rude for interrupting.

_ Just say hi, and they will notice _ , Sakura encouraged her.

"Uh… hi," Zaku said weakly, mentally facepalming.

They now directed both of their eyes at her. She straightened her back a bit and remembered how mother taught nii-chan how to look confident. 

"Hi! I'm Yamanaka Inona, and this is Inuzuka Rei," Inona introduced herself and her friend.

A flashback of a pair of blue eyes came into her mind. So she must be a relative of Sakura's friend Ino. Maybe they could be friends too.

"I'm Zaku. Nice to meet you." The corner of her lips raised a bit.

They both raised their eyebrows. "Are you an orphan?" Rei asked.

"No. I don't know who my tou-chan is, but I'm living with my kaa-chan. I'm not even sure if she knows who my tou-chan is," Zaku explained and shrugged. She didn't know why they asked her those questions. Was it because she didn't have a surname?

"How can't your kaa-chan not know who your father is?" It sounded like Inona didn't believe her.

_ Don't tell them what kind of job your mother has, okay? _

Zaku had noticed how some people gave disapproving looks at her mother when they walked together. Maybe it was best not to say anything.

"I don't know. She never talks about him."

They gave her a glance that said they didn't believe her before they continued with their conversation. Zaku could feel how blood rushed up to her cheeks and glared down at her hands. Why didn't they want to be friends?

_ Rude. You should just ignore them and try to find other friends _ , Sakura consoled her.

Right then, a woman with her purple hair in a long braid came in. She was impressed by how everyone went silent in a second.

"I am Ejiri Toga, but call me Toga-sensei. I am your homeroom teacher. Before your class begins, I want to see if everyone is here," her sensei introduced herself before she started to read names out loud.

"Sakura?"

"Yes, sensei," she said. It was strange to hear her real name.

"Akimichi Chõjion?"

"Yes, Toga-sensei."

* * *

She had been in the Academy for a month now, and she still had no luck finding friends. It seems like most of her classmates already knew each other. Zaku had stopped trying to be friends with them after her second week there. Her classmates either ignore or glare at her. It also didn't help that she always raised her hand to answer questions the teacher gave. She could hear how they called her the teacher's pet behind her back. Zaku couldn't help but feel ashamed that she let their comments get to her. She had so many other things to worry about, and she gave more focus on the fact that she didn't have any friends.

_ It's okay to feel sad, you know. Ignore your classmates and if they don't leave you alone, punch them in the face! _

Zaku smiled. She was grateful that Sakura was there to give her advice or just comfort her.  _ Thank you. _

"We will have a taijutsu lesson now!" Kenji exclaimed excitedly.

_ Finally, a taijutsu lesson. We are about to see if you're any good at fighting against someone. _

Zaku nodded. She wanted to fight against the clan kids. Their parents have trained them on how to fight. If she could beat them, then she was one step closer to her goal.

Everyone went down to the training grounds. Toga-sensei was already there, waiting for them. 

"This will be your first taijutsu lesson. I want you all to spar against each other to see which level you all are on. Choose someone you want to spar against and wait until I give you further instructions."

No one seemed to have any problems with finding a partner. It was best to wait until someone was left without a partner before she could ask them. Zaku didn't notice Inona coming closer to her.

"Sakura-san, do you want to be my partner?"

Zaku raised her eyebrows. She knew the reason why she wanted to spar against her. Inona was jealous that she was good at academics and probably thought she sucked at physical things like taijutsu. She was also from the Yamanaka clan, so she probably had lessons in taijutsu since she was little and thought that a civilian kid like her would lose. Zaku would show her.

"Sure."

She didn't miss the smug smirk that grew on her lips. Zaku would wipe it off when she won.

"Now, before you start your spar, you will make the seal of confrontation," Toga-sensei said, having two fingers pressed to each other in front of her face. "When the spar is over, you will use the seal of reconciliation to show that you are still friends after the spar."

When everyone was ready to fight, she permitted them to start the spar.

Zaku let Inona make the first move. She wanted to see if she was offensive or a defensive fighter. The blonde girl tried to punch her in the jaw, but Zaku blocked it with her hand and twisted it. Inona kicked her leg to get away from her grip. She was more offensive. Zaku took advantage of it by jumping and trying to kick her in the face while still in the air. The other girl had her other hand wrapped around her ankle, and before Zaku's upper body fell on the ground, she wrapped her other leg around her shoulders and spun around so she could land on Inona. Before she could do anything, Zaku had both of her knees on Inona's arms to make it impossible for her to move. Her fist was a few inches from the blonde's face.

_ Kami! I didn't know I could do that _ , she said to Sakura in her mind. 

_ Same.  _ Clearly, Sakura was also surprised.

Inona looked at her with widened eyes. She was either surprised because she beat her or because of the pain. Maybe both. 

"Don't forget the seal of reconciliation, girls," Toga-sensei reminded them, smiling at Zaku.

She stood up and offered two fingers to the other girl. Even though she glared at Zaku, she took it.

"I will beat you one day!"

_ It looks like you've got a rival _ , Sakura laughed.

* * *

Ever since Zaku had beaten Inona during their first taijutsu lesson, she always came to her when they could choose a partner. She didn't mind because the blonde became better at fighting, though not good enough to win over her. Inona caught her off guard one day by asking if they could train with each other. Zaku had said yes because it was better to train with someone when it came to taijutsu.

"So, who taught you taijutsu?" she asked during their walk to her training spot. "My kaa-san taught me."

"No one." Zaku noticed her surprised look. "I always watch how other people fight and then try to do it myself," she lied smoothly.

"Wow! I have my kaa-san as a teacher, and you are still better than me," Inona said with jealousy in her voice.

Zaku beamed by the praise. She had trained hard to be good at it, so it was nice to hear someone compliment her. "Inona-chan, I think that your taijutsu style is good. I think the reason I win is that I am stronger and have more stamina than you. So if you just spend thirty minutes training your muscles and running, it would increase."

She seemed to think about it before she smiled. "Then why can't we train with each other before the academy starts?"

"Sure. Do Tuesdays and Thursdays work? It's not good for our health if we train in-ten-siv-ely every day."

Inona nodded before they started to spar. Zaku was glad to know that she had a friend.

* * *

Zaku was best in her class at the academics, flower arranging, and taijutsu, but she failed when it came to shuriken and kunai throwing. She thought about nii-chan and glared down at the kunai in her hand. Never in her life would she risk her brother's life because she couldn't throw a piece of metal. If she were the worst in her class at kunai throwing, she would become the best.

"So it seems like the great Zaku-chan finally sucks at something," Inona teased. 

"Inona-chan, why are you talking to her? Your mother told you to stay away from her," Rei said, completely ignoring that Zaku could hear her.

Before Zaku could open her mouth, Inona defended her. "I don't care what her mother is doing. She will become a great kunoichi, and I learn a lot from her."

Zaku frowned. "What do my kaa-chan do?"

"Your mother is doing something dirty. My kaa-chan said that if your mother doesn't know who your father is, then she must have a nasty job," Rei taunted her. "Being with you will probably just spread it."

Cold anger burned inside of her. How dare she stand in front of her and act like she knew everything. She didn't know how scary it was to hear men hurt her mother without doing anything. She didn't know that her brother was almost going to get the job and that he was somewhere in the world being hurt by the man who kidnapped him. She didn't know that the job was the only way for them to get a roof over their head and food on the plate. 

Zaku hadn't noticed how the air had become colder. Her dark green eyes were focusing on the Inuzuka girl. The best way to win was not to do anything violent. Her anger would just make her happier.

Instead, Zaku let her lips break into a smile. "I can't say I would want to get any closer to you either. Doesn't your clan get fucked by dogs?"

Everyone who heard her gasped. She was pretty sure that none of them even knew what the word meant.

"You said a bad word!" 

"So what? Are you going to say that the nasty girl finally did something bad to your kaa-chan? Go on! It's not like she would be surprised," Zaku mocked. "Oh, so you don't deny it?

Inuzuka's face got redder. She took a step forward and raised her fist. "Shut up, or I'll punch you!"

She sneered. "Like you even could. You're taijutsu sucks!"

"Girls! What are you doing?" Toga-sensei shouted. 

"Nothing, sensei. I'm just showing Inuzuka how to throw a punch."

She didn't seem to believe in her but didn't do anything. Inuzuka took a step back.

"Inona-chan, are you still going to be with  _ her _ ?" 

"Yes. I will be with whoever I want."

"Then don't come near me," she said and left them there.

* * *

"Relax the body, stand straight, right foot forward, aim, and then throw," Zaku recited before she threw the stolen kunai at the tree. The kunai was drilling in the tree to her happiness, but it wasn't close to the target point.

_ If you become good at kunai and shuriken throwing, then I will teach you how to control your chakra and how to do some jutsus _ , Sakura told her,

_ Yes, Sakura-sensei! _

Every day, she spends half an hour throwing kunais and shurikens. She needed to make her shoulder muscles and body used to it so that it could come naturally to her one day. When she finally could throw them at the target, she tried it with two kunais, then three, then four, and lastly, five. It took her two months to be that good, and it was totally worth it.

"How did you get that good so fast?" Inona asked when she threw five shurikens at the target, all of them came to the right places.

"Training."

* * *

As promised, Sakura taught Zaku how to control her chakra. 

_ Your chakra reserves are large enough to do some tree walking. You will focus on an amount of chakra in your feet before you try to climb it. _

She remembered from one of Sakura's memories that she had succeeded at it on her first try. Zaku didn't believe that she could do it, but she would try. Her chakra ran down to her feet before she put them on the tree. It didn't get stuck.

_ You used too little chakra. You need more. _

Zaku tried again, this time using a lot more than she used the first time. She got pushed away, and she saw a small hole on where she put her foot.

_ Too much. _

This time she used less chakra than she did the last time, but more than the first. Finally, her foot was stuck on the tree. Zaku started to walk upon the tree while she focused on having the same amount of chakra during the whole walk. It felt like she would lose her footing a few times, but she put on more chakra to make it stick. When she, at last, was on the top of the tree, she sat on a branch. 

_ I did it!  _ she beamed.

_ Congratulations! Now you need to do it five times before I can say you are good at it. _

"You're no fun, Sakura," she whined but still let her chakra run down to her feet before she walked down the tree. 

Zaku did it five times before Sakura called it a day.

She trained on her tree walking for a week before Sakura said she could now learn how to walk on water. It was harder than tree walking because she would need to constantly change the amount of chakra on her feet. 

Zaku thought it was a better idea, to begin with, her hands before she started with her feet. It took her a while before her hand had the right amount of chakra. When she let her hand slide a bit forward, she needed to put less chakra in her hand. It was definitely more challenging than tree walking. 

_ Wanna try with your feet now?  _ Sakura asked.

Zaku didn't think she was ready but didn't object. She rolled up her pants to her knees and took off her shoes. She carefully put one of her feet on the water surface and saw that it didn't sink before putting her other foot on the water. Zaku didn't have many clothes, so she was cautious about not letting herself get wet. So she took one step at a time to see how much chakra she needed. It took her ten steps before she fell in the water. Zaku was glad that she took place where the water wasn't so deep because she didn't know how to swim.

_ Kami! I forgot that you didn't know how to swim!  _ Sakura said, her voice seemed a bit higher than normal.  _ We can't continue with this until you know how to swim. _

She felt a bit disappointed, knowing that it would take more time before she could water walk.  _ I need to find some swimming clothes. I have to ask kaa-chan. _

* * *

Zaku didn't like to ask her mother about things she wanted. She knew how much she worked to make sure they got a roof over their heads, food, and clothes. Asking for more would just make her work harder, and Zaku didn't want that. 

"Kaa-chan, can you buy me a swimming suit?" 

"Sure. I didn't know the Academy taught you how to swim, but I guess it makes sense." 

Academy? What did she mean? "Uh, no. I am now trying to learn how to walk on water, but I can't do that without swimming."

Mother frowned. "But you can't swim."

"Yeah, I know. I will teach myself how to do that," she said, clearly not seeing the problem.

The redhead woman shook her head. "No. You can't teach yourself how to swim. If no one else does,  _ I  _ will."

Just looking at her stern face made Zaku know that she wouldn't change her mind.

The next day, she and kaa-chan went to the beach. She had bought swimming suits for both of them. Zaku wasn't surprised when she didn't see a single soul on the beach. It was November and quite cold. 

"Won't we get a cold if we are swimming in this weather?"

Mother laughed. "Of course not. We have Kiri blood in our veins." She grinned and patted her on the shoulder. "We won't get sick because of cold water."

_ I didn't know people from Kiri withstood the cold better _ , Sakura muttered, sounding suspicious.

They walked into the cold water and stopped when the water surface was to her waist. 

"First, you need to float. Try to relax and let the water do the job for you," she instructed. 

Zaku closed her eyes and leaned slowly back towards the water. She let the water pick up her legs to the surface. Everything was fine until the water came into her nose. Her arms and legs started to flutter, desperately trying to come over the surface, and she started to breathe faster.

"Calm down, Zaku!"

_ You are not going to die. _

Her mother's smooth arms were wrapped around her and carried her up so she could touch the ground. Zaku's breathing became slower, and she stopped fighting back. 

"Don't be scared. Remember that you are close to the ground and that I wouldn't let you get drowned. Okay?" mother said calmly, stroking her shoulders. 

She tried it again, this time remembering that she wouldn't die when water came into her nose. When kaa-chan thought she was comfortable enough with floating, she showed her how to kick her legs. Zaku needed to keep her legs straight while she took one of her calves up while the other was down, then she needed to do it over and over again. Mother took her arms and let her practice her kicks. After a while of just kicking, her legs started to ache. 

"Maybe this is enough for now. It's not good if we stay here more. You pick up swimming quite fast, I must say." 

Zaku grinned, so all of her teeth showed. It wasn't often her mother praised her because they didn't talk much to each other nowadays. 

* * *

It took her two weeks to learn how to swim. Zaku had completely ignored Sakura's warning about not learning how to walk on water while learning how to swim. It wasn't dangerous if she could touch the ground. It took her a week to walk on water without having to walk on the surface carefully. 

_ Your chakra control will definitely be better when you're older if it's already this good. _

_ Sakura, my chakra control is better than it was before. When will I learn jutsus?  _

_ To graduate from the Academy, you need to know the transformation, clone, and body replacement jutsu. I will teach you them first before we go on harder jutsus _ , Sakura explained.  _ I think we will begin with the body replacement jutsu. That's the one I think is most useful in battles. _

_ What are the hand seals? _

_ Tiger, boar, ox, dog, and snake. You need to look at an object and switch places with it. _

Zaku followed the instructions. She had her eyes on the stone, did the hand seals, and let her chakra do its job. Nothing happened.

_ More chakra. _

She did it again, and this time it worked. The stone was now on the place where she had stood. 

_ And this is why chakra control is awesome. It makes learning jutsu much easier. _

Zaku couldn't help but laugh at Sakura's smug tone. She was glad that things came easier to her.

* * *

Ejiri Toga was amazed that an akasen kid could score higher in every subject than a clan kid. While her written test had shown that she had a vocabulary better than a ten-year-old, what had caught her interest had been her class's first taijutsu lesson. Sakura-kun had shown that she knew her taijutsu moves even though it looked like she didn't have any experience to be in a real fight. After more lessons, she showed more confidence, and her reflexes became better. Learning new things came easy to her, apparently. Toga had been suspicious that an akasen kid could be so skilled at a young age. It also didn't help the fact that she had moved from Kirigakure a few months before she started in the Academy. So she had followed Sakura to see what she did outside of school. 

It seemed like her red-haired student had a routine. She was going to the library directly after school and sitting there reading for a few hours, then going to her usual spot in a little forest where she trained her muscles and ran. After that, she spends her time improving her kunai and shuriken skills before she meditates. Sakura then trained on her chakra control by walking on water or trees before repeating jutsus that she had learned on a few tries. Then went back to the brothel.

Nothing seemed suspicious about her. She didn't send any mails or write things about the village that didn't have academic purposes. Sakura-kun didn't meet any strange people or went to other places. It seemed like she wasn't a spy after all.

Sakura-kun was the reason why she was in Hokage's office.

"Ah, Toga-san, what a pleasant surprise," the Sandaime welcomed her.

"Hokage-sama."

His eyes were now directed to her, and she had his full attention.

"I came here to discuss my student, Sakura-kun," she began. "I think it would be wise if we placed her in the graduating class. She has shown to have skills on genin level."

"What can she do?" Hokage asked her curiously.

"For a civilian child, she had grasped the basics really well. Her taijutsu and shurikenjutsu are impressive, she can already walk on trees and water, and she can use the graduating jutsus with no problem. Her chakra is obviously larger than her age, and her speed and stamina is quite high," she told him. "I have also challenged her by giving her the written test, and she scored 95% on it. I bet that if she graduates during the spring, she would be the Rookie of the year."

The older man raised one of his eyebrows. "You said that she came from a civilian family? That's quite impressive for someone who doesn't have anyone to teach her. Have you looked more into it?"

Toga knew exactly what he meant. "Yes. I haven't seen anything suspicious about her. I would think that she learned it all from her many hours in the library."

He chuckled. "It's good to see children thirsting for knowledge." Then Hokage's face became more serious. "I trust that you know the child is ready for the shinobi world. There will be a war soon, and I hope nothing unfortunate happens to her."

"Yes, Hokage-sama," she said before she left. 

* * *

Akari wouldn't lie and say that she was astonished when a purple-haired woman with shinobi gear came into her room. She had only gotten a few female clients since she became a prostitute, and she has had the job in eleven years. 

"Good day, Akari-san. I'm Ejiri Toga, Sakura-kun's sensei. I've come here to talk about her," Toga had said and bowed. It was a long time before since someone had bowed to her so respectfully.

Akari gave her a polite smile. "Oh, I hope she hasn't caused you any trouble," she said before she pointed at one of her armchairs. "Do you want to sit and talk about it while we drink tea?"

Her daughter's sensei smiled before she sat down. "Sakura-kun is not in any trouble. In fact, I came here to talk about how remarkable she is."

"Remarkable?"

"Yes. Never have I seen someone learn things as fast as she could since Hatake Kakashi, and he became genin at the same age as your daughter is right now. Sakura-kun could barely throw a kunai during our first lesson, two months later, and she could throw five without any problem."

Hearing how smart her daughter is was not something that shocked her. Both Hiroshi and Zaku had shown to have intelligence and maturity at a young age. Though she must say, she was a bit surprised over how fast she learned things. What Akari didn't like was how she mentioned Konoha's prodigy. Did they want Zaku also to graduate? Was it the reason why her teacher was here?

Toga continued. "Your daughter has shown to be intelligent and as skilled as a genin. That's why I want you to know that she will be placed in the graduating class after this holiday."

Her smile became a bit stern. Akari didn't want her bright daughter to become a shinobi this early. While she had never become a ninja, she was quite familiar with them. They became distant after they killed or saw someone they know die. Their eyes were haunted, and that was a look she never wanted to see in her daughter's eyes. Zaku would definitely need to kill if a war was about to happen.

"Do you think it's a good idea to let someone as young as her in the field when a war is about to happen?"

The purple-haired woman looked a bit overtaken by how cold her voice suddenly was. "When Sakura-kun becomes a genin, she won't be on the field. She will mostly do D-ranks and sometimes even C-ranked missions. Also, she will have a jõnin by her side, so there is a low risk for her to be in danger."

"Even in wartime?"

"Yes, even in wartime."

Akari released a breath she didn't know she held. "Huh, Konoha's system is a lot different from Kiri's, I see."

"It definitely is."

* * *

Sarutobi Hiruzen didn't know if he should be glad or take a headache pill. Having two more prodigies would definitely make their village look stronger. But having one of them as an akasen kid would cause problems. Uchiha Shisui's disappearance would definitely make it noticeable, and people would ask questions. A whore's child would not give the same attention.

"Danzõ, I do not want Sakura to be in your ROOT program," Hiruzen said firmly. 

His friend glared at him. "She would be a good asset to the village. Her intelligence and chakra control would work excellently in ROOT. One prodigy hidden could be an advantage to us."

While he could see that Danzõ made a few good points, Hiruzen had never liked the idea of ROOT. Kidnapping children and making them emotionless soldiers was not the future Hashirama, and Tobirama-sensei had wished for. However, he could see the usefulness by having them, especially now when war was about to happen. That had been the reason why he hadn't disbanded ROOT yet. He was worried that he didn't want his friend to have someone who could one day be powerful on his side. He wasn't stupid enough not to know that Danzõ wanted to be Hokage.

"I believe she would be a much better asset if she were on the same team as Uchiha Shisui and Fujioka Riku. One of them is a prodigy, and the other one is a genius. Having those three on the same team would probably make them as famous as the Sannin one day."

Hiruzen could clearly see how displeased his friend was by the news. Before Danzõ went out of the room, he couldn't help but add:

"If I ever found out that Sakura has been kidnapped, that you disobeyed my orders, consequences will happen."

He stormed out of the room without replying.

* * *

Zaku was happy to say that all her hard work didn't go in vain. Mom had told her that Toga-sensei came to her and said that she would, after the winter break, start to go to the graduating class. 

"While I'm happy to know that you do your best in school. I hope you know that this means you will go out in the shinobi world sooner than I expected. I'm not happy about it, but I know you won't take any dangerous mission right now." 

Zaku laid her hand over hers. "Don't worry. I swear to you that I won't die in twenty years!"

She chuckled lowly. "I'm also worried about your mental health. The more a shinobi has lived, the more horrors it has seen. It's stupid of me to think that you will be a genin forever. People will notice your talents and want you to reach your full potential. I can't stop that." 

She met her mother's equally green eyes and stared at her. While she had worked hard on becoming a strong ninja so she could prevent the world's downfall and find nii-chan, Zaku hadn't even given a second thought about how worried mother would be. She had already lost one son. Losing her own daughter from death or mental illness would not help that.

"When I said I wanted to be a shinobi, I knew what I would be going through. I can't say I regret it, but I regret making you worried, kaa-chan. My goal is to find nii-chan and bring him back home. If I need to go through it, I will."

Their conversation ended there. Zaku never found out that her mother broke down in their room after their talk.

* * *

"I'm Sakura, please take care of me," she said and bowed to her new class. Her eyes were focusing on the boy beside her. Was he also skilled enough to be in the graduating class?

"Oh, she's so cute!" an older girl whispered to her friend. Zaku's face got a bit redder.

"I'm Uchiha Shisui. Please take care of me."

An Uchiha? The face of Uchiha Sasuke came into her memory. Was he as hateful and arrogant as that boy?

_ Not everyone is like Sasuke. Don't judge him because of his clan _ , Sakura scolded her.

"Now, take a seat. Our lesson will start now," Kunikida-sensei said, and both of them hurried to sit on the empty seats.

Zaku, Shisui, and a boy with blonde hair sat on the same desk. She brought out her notebook and waited excitedly for her teacher to talk. 

"Today, we will talk about how you see through a genjutsu-" She stopped listening. It was already something she knew about, and Zaku was disappointed how they didn't, for example, talk about how to trick your enemy in a fight.

Clearly, she wasn't the only one who didn't listen to their sensei. Her classmates who sat behind her seemed to have other things to talk about.

"Did you see how small they are? Are they sure it's a smart idea to let two babies in our class?"

_ Who are they calling babies? I bet I can beat the crap out of them!  _ she growled to Sakura. 

"They are prodigies. Remember Hatake Kakashi? He became a chũnin at six! Two years younger than us!"

"I don't think they can beat, Riku-kun! He's the strongest in our class!"

_ I want to know who Riku is. I will beat him too, and he will be acknowledging me as the strongest one in this school. I will beat that Uchiha too! _

Sakura laughed.  _ I haven't seen you this overexcited in a long time. I actually hope they are stronger than you. _

_ Why? I need to be the strongest one.  _ She felt a bit betrayed that Sakura wasn't on her side.

_ Because it would be easier for you to improve than being stronger than them, also, you need to stop being so fixated on being the strongest one. It's not healthy, and you have plenty of time. _

Zaku sighed. She knew Sakura was right, but that didn't really help. People were probably treating Nii-chan like shit, and she couldn't do anything about it. It also didn't help that if she made any wrong move, the world would go under. Zaku couldn't allow herself to be weak. If she died on a mission, nothing would change.

Her eyes were fixing on the dark-haired boy. It looked like he was sucking in everything their sensei said and hadn't heard what their older classmates had said, or he had heard but pretended that he didn't. Suddenly he looked in her direction and seemed surprised to see her stare at him. Zaku did not look away and kept staring at him. Shisui clearly looked uncomfortable and tried to smile at her. She had not returned it.

To her irritation, her classmates had seen her stares. "Oh, look how she's looking at him! Do you think she has a crush on him? That's so cute!"

* * *

It's been a month since she started in her new class. Zaku has still not sparred against Uchiha or Riku, who she later found out was the blonde boy she sat with during her first day after winter break. Her class had shown her more respect when she won in a taijutsu spar against Hyũga Fumi, she was one of the best in taijutsu in their class, but they sometimes still treated her like a child. 

"I can't spar against  _ her _ , sensei!" Oda exclaimed loudly. "She's… she is…"

She glared at him. "I'm a what?" She asked sharply. 

"You're a baby!"

"Oh, so you're afraid that a  _ baby _ will kick your ass?"

Everyone gasped. "How does she know those words?" Someone asked, but she didn't know who that was. 

Kunikida-sensei sighed loudly. "Oda-kun, spar against Sakura-kun, or I will give you detention. Sakura-kun, if I ever hear you repeat those words, you will also get detention. Now, spar."

_ Oh, so I can learn how to kill, but swearing is drawing the line.  _ Zaku wanted to say but kept quiet because being in detention wasn't anything she strived for.

Their spar ended quickly. Oda's fist was too slow, and that had made her easily grab it and put it behind his back in a strong grip. Her green eyes were narrowing at the older boy. Did he hold back? Why couldn't they see through her age and see her as an equal? Her fist tightened. They didn't give Shisui the same treatment!

_ There are still some people who don't think girls can be as strong as boys.  _ Sakura explained.  _ Don't see it as something bad. It's an advantage you have over them. They will underestimate you, and they will regret it. _

_ But if everyone treats me as someone who can break easily, how will I ever get stronger? _

_ You will have to train more. _

* * *

Zaku started to read about medical ninjutsu. She remembered how Sakura had healed so many people during the war and even saved her friend Naruto from death. If she learned it, she could save the people she loved and heal herself during battle. 

The more she read, the more Zaku saw how useful it was in battle. Learning every weak point in someone's body is something she should add to her taijutsu. If she learned chakra scalpel, she could easily insert it in someone's tenketsu and make it harder for them to use their chakra. 

_ Why don't more people learn this?  _

_ Because many medical-nins stay in the hospital and when they are in the field, they usually stay on the side-lines, not fighting. Some people even think it's a job only cowards take, which is kinda funny because we are the ones who save lives.  _ Sakura didn't hide the bitter tone in her voice.

_ I will then one day make medical ninjutsu feared in all villages! _

_ That would be something I want to see _ , Sakura laughed. Zaku felt a bit better to know that she cheered Sakura up.

_ Soo, when will I learn mystical palm? _

_ We need a fish. _

This was much harder than Zaku had thought. Even though she had a scroll that helped her with the jutsu, it was still hard. 

_ What did you expect? It's an A-rank jutsu that requires a lot of chakra control. If you learn this jutsu, the other medical jutsus will be a lot easier for you. _

_ How long did it take for you, again? _

_ Two months. And I was a lot older than you, so don't be disappointed if it takes much time. _

_ I want to know this jutsu before I become a genin. I won't have much time as I have now to learn it.  _ She promised herself.

* * *

Zaku woke up early like always and met Inona in their usual spot. They didn't meet each other as often as before, but they were still friends. 

"You still haven't sparred against one of them?" the blonde girl asked while they ran up the hill. "Can't you choose your partners?"

She clenched her teeth. "Yes, we can. But every time we can choose a partner, Uchiha and Fujioka always spar with each other." Why would they never want to spar against her? Didn't they think she was as strong as them?

"Who's the strongest?"

"Fujioka is better at taijutsu than Uchiha, but it sometimes happens that he wins."

Rage flowed through her like lava. It had been exactly a year since Hiro-nii was kidnapped, and she wasn't in a good mood. Those idiots didn't let her spar against them, and f they didn't let her improve, how would she be strong enough to beat that  _ man _ ? 

Zaku hadn't realized that tears started to build in her eyes and how her nails were digging deep into her palm. A little blood came from the sore.

_ Zaku! _

A hand touched her shoulder before spinning her around so she could meet blue pupilless eyes. The mask she'd carried ever since nii-chan disappeared had finally cracked. All the stress, anger, and sorrow no five-year-old should carry were finally getting out.

Inona didn't say anything, instead, she hugged her and kept her that way until she finally calmed down. 

"What happened?"

Zaku trusted her enough to tell her everything. She told her how a man came to the brothel and wanted kaa-chan to sell nii-chan. How she had refused and the same day, he burned down the building, and many people had died. Zaku told her then that she had lived on the street a few weeks before the man finally found them and kidnapped nii-chan.

"Kaa-chan thought he would try to find us again-hic-and that's why we moved here," she hiccuped, her eyes were swelling up because of the tears. "That's why I trained so hard to become strong. I want to find nii-chan and kill that  _ man.  _ But I'm not even sure if he's alive anymore! What if the man treats him like an a-animal, and when I find him, he's not Hiro-nii anymore? What if someone kills him because they were bo-bored? What if they r-rape-raped him so many times that he kill-killed himself?"

Zaku knew Inona wanted to ask what rape means, and she was grateful that she didn't ask. The blonde hugged her tighter.

"I will help you." Zaku's eyes widened a bit when she heard her friend's words. "I will help you find your brother. And if he's dead, I will be there and help you kill that man."

"Why?" Why would she do that?

"Because you're my best friend, and he hurt someone you love."

Zaku and Inona had stayed there for a long time before they went to the Academy. She had missed the two first lessons when she came back. Her eyes were still a bit red from all the crying, and she felt like shit, but talking to Inona had made the weight on her shoulders a bit lighter. 

_ I'm sorry that I didn't talk much about this with you. I thought that when you were ready, you would talk more about this with me.  _

_ It's okay. I shouldn't bottle it up. I will talk to you the next time I'm feeling like this. _

When she walked into her classroom, every eye was on her. She pursed her lips and scowled. Why did they pay attention to her when she came late, but someone else does no one cared.

"Sakura-kun, could you explain why-" Kunikida-sensei interrupted himself when he saw her red eyes. "What happened to you?"

Couldn't he understand that she didn't want to talk about it in front of everyone? Of course, she didn't say that out loud. Instead, she bowed. "I'm sorry for being late, Kunikida-sensei. My cat died last night," she said apathetically. The lie came easy to her, and she saw how everyone ate it up.

"My condolences," he said, understanding and letting her sit on a seat. Unfortunately, it was with Shisui and Riku.

Zaku ignored them and pulled up her book about surgeries. During the whole lesson, she didn't do anything but read her book. 

"Uh, Sakura-san, we have lunch now." Fujioka's voice interrupted her reading. 

She looked up and met his brown eyes. Did they look down on her and thought she didn't know what happened around her surroundings?

"Are you okay?" Uchiha asked, sounding concerned and was about to touch her shoulder, but she slapped his hand away.

"Don't touch me!" Her green eyes glaring at him like daggers. "I'm perfectly fine."

Zaku stood up and stormed out of the classroom.

* * *

Ever since she told Inona about her brother, they became closer. After school, she would give her friend some advice on how shurikenjutsu or taijutsu while she tried to make the fish come back to life. Sometimes, the blonde could convince her to play with her in the playground. Zaku would never admit it to Inona, but she actually thought it was fun when they did that. 

In April, she finally made it! 

"INONA! LOOK! I CAN FINALLY DO IT!" she screamed and showed her the fish who desperately wanted to breathe. "I CAN DO AN A-RANKED JUTSU!"

The other girl gave her a grin that showed her some of her missing teeth. "Great job, Zaku-chan!"

_ Congratulations, Zaku. It's impressive that you could do it in just three months. But you need to do it again. _

Zaku looked up to the blue sky and groaned.  _ Your evil! Why don't you ever let me show off and be happy for once? _

_ Duh, cuz I'm here to torture you _ , Sakura teased, and Zaku couldn't hold back her giggle.

* * *

"Riku-kun, you will spar against Sakura-kun," Kunikida-sensei announced during their taijutsu-lesson.

The corner of her mouth raised a bit when she heard that. She would finally know if he were stronger than her. When Zaku saw how displeased he looked, she couldn't help but feel a bit hurt. Was he angry that he wouldn't spar against his friend? Did he think that he couldn't improve his taijutsu if he fought against her?

_ Maybe he has a bad day?  _ Sakura offered, but she didn't listen. She would beat his arrogant ass to Suna's desert!

Zaku looked up at him with chilly eyes. Suddenly, the warm day seemed to have gotten a bit colder. They both made the seal of confrontation before they moved.

As expected, Fujioka started to punch and kick her at a breakneck speed. If Zaku weren't good at being defensive, he would have won by now. She blocked and avoided every punch and kick he gave her. He was stronger, taller, and older than her. If she got one punch, he would most likely win. Zaku remembered all the weak points on the human body, so she caught his fist and made his eyes focus on her fist, which was about to punch him in the jaw. At the same time he grabbed it, she stomped on his knee. A groan came out of Fujioka's mouth, but it seems like his weakening knee didn't stop him from still fighting. Zaku jumped and had one of her legs around his shoulder before realizing that she left herself open. The older boy was about to punch her, but in the last second, he let her spin him around, so he landed on the ground with her on the top.

Zaku stood up and looked at him angrily. Why had he let her win? Did he pity her? Anger started to bubble inside her. He didn't help her by letting her win, he insulted her.

"Sakura-chan?" His brown eyes didn't show anything but kindness, and she hated him for it.

They made the seal of reconciliation before they let someone else spar. Zaku could hear people talk about how easily she beat Fujioka. She didn't deserve the praise.

* * *

They had announced  _ her  _ as the Rookie of the year. It didn't feel right. Fujioka deserved that title, not her. It gave her a bitter taste in her mouth to even think about it.

Zaku waited for her sensei to say which team she would be on. Having a jõnin-sensei would make her progress a lot faster.

“Team 11. Uchiha Shisui, Fujioka Riku and Sakura.”

_ What? _


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zaku's sensei is... very loud...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> English is not my first language, so if there is any grammar wrong here, just say it, and I will fix it.

Uchiha Shisui wondered why Sakura hated him. It seems like every time he would come near her; she would glare at him. He had thought because both of them were at the same age, they would get along, but that never happened. Instead, she pushed him away with her glares. When he became friends with Riku, he had one day asked why Sakura hated him.

“I think she hates me too. Whenever she sees me, she stares at me like I’m some sort of creep.” His older friend admitted. “I think it’s because we three are the strongest in our class, and that’s why she doesn’t like us.”

Shisui did not get a good look at how Sakura was as a person. She seemed rather like an arrogant person who had a lot of pride. So when Kunikida-sensei announced that she would be his teammate, he couldn’t say he liked that. At least he had Riku on his team. 

“WHERE’S TEAM 11 ‘TTEBANE!” A loud voice almost made him jump on his feet. Was  _ that  _ his new sensei?

Riku looked equally as surprised as he was. A grimace grew on his face. If his sensei always screamed like this, he thought his ears wouldn’t take it. 

“So you’re my team? Oh~ you’re so cute!”

A woman who had redder hair than Sakura stood in front of them. Her hair was in a ponytail, and she was wearing her jõnin gear. No one in his team said anything. Instead, everyone stared at her, speechless. Shisui knew a few jõnins, and none of them was as loud as this one.

His sensei chuckled. “I guess my awesomeness made y’all mute. Well, let’s introduce ourselves outside! Follow me!”

They followed her outside of the Academy before they stopped. 

She turned around so she could see their faces. “Let me introduce myself. I’m Uzumaki Kushina. I like ramen and my friends. I don’t like tomatoes and people who judge others by appearance. My hobby is to make new seals, and the reason why I wanted to be a ninja is that I wanted to protect my precious people.” When no one still said a word, Kushina-sensei looked a bit awkward. “Uh… you’re supposed to introduce yourselves now.”

“Oh… well, I’m Fujioka Riku, and I like to look after my younger sib-brother and read fantasy books. What I don’t like are bullies and people who are mean to others for no good reason. My hobby is training on my kenjutsu and taijutsu. The reason why I wanted to become a ninja is so I can protect the weak from people who overuse their powers.”

Shisui smiled at his friend before it was his time. “I’m Uchiha Shisui, and I like my grandpa and how he tells stories about his time when he was young. I don’t like people with much pride-” His eyes were on Sakura. “-and my hobby is training on my genjutsu skills. I wanted to be a ninja so I could protect Konoha from the shadows.”

“My name is Sakura. I like my kaa-chan and Inona-chan. I don’t like people who underestimate others and perverts. I read a lot about medical ninjutsu, and I’m a ninja because-” She stayed quiet for a second. “-Because I want to earn a lot of money.”

“Money?” Did she really become a ninja for such a selfish reason?

The redhead glared at him. “Yes.  _ Money _ . Do you have a problem with it?”

“Guys,” sensei tried to get their attention, but Shisui didn’t want to listen.

“Yes! I do! That’s a selfish reason to become a shinobi!”

Sakura took a step and invaded his space. “Don’t act like you know  _ anything  _ about  _ me _ . I can become a shinobi for whatever reason  _ I  _ like. I don’t give a fuck what  _ you  _ think,  _ Uchiha _ ”, she spitted out his name like it was poison. 

“GUYS!” Kushina-sensei’s hair was flying everywhere, and her eyes were filled with rage. “I don’t want to see any of you fight again!  _ Understand _ ?”

Shisui thought it was best to nod because his sensei surely did look scary. 

She calmed down before she smiled as nothing had just happened. “Good. I could have failed you the genin test if you didn’t listen to me.”

“Genin test? I thought we already were genins?” Riku asked, frowning.

Sakura snorted. “If there were no genin test, every jõnin would be a sensei, which Konoha can’t afford. That’s why 66% of the genin who graduated fails the test, and they either go to the genin corps or go back to the Academy. While the ones who succeed on the test get a jõnin-sensei, and those are usually the ones who rise through the ranks faster.”

Sensei gave her a weird look. “I couldn’t have explained it better. How did you know? I didn’t think Academy students knew anything about this.”

She shrugged. “I just thought it was weird for everyone to graduate and have a jõnin-sensei when not many jõnin’s are senseis. So I looked it up and found out about the hidden test.”

Shisui narrowed his eyes. He had a feeling that Sakura lied even though nothing in her face told her that she did. Maybe it was her secret sensei who told her that. He didn’t believe that she could be that skilled without anyone to guide her.

“Ah, you did score very high on the written test, so I’m not surprised that you know, dattebane.” Kushina-sensei’s smile grew bigger. “Well, as Sakura-chan already told you, only nine people in your class would get a jõnin-sensei. And the test will start tomorrow at 8 in the morning. Be there!”

Then she bodyflicked away. 

To his surprise, Sakura was the one who talked first. “I think it’s best if we eat lunch together and talk about certain things.” 

Eat lunch together? Didn’t she hate them? Riku gave him a confused look, and Shisui couldn’t do anything but return it.

“Uh, sure,” Riku said. Still, a bit baffled that she wanted to eat lunch with them. 

“Good.”

* * *

When Sakura wanted to eat lunch with him, Riku had expected that they would go to some restaurant, not that she would give them bentos. The food was delicious.

“Kaa-chan made them and thought it would be a good start for our team if she made these for you,” she muttered; her face got a bit pinker while she avoided their eyes. 

He smiled. “Your mother’s food is delicious, Sakura-chan.”

The redhead blinked, and he couldn’t help but wrinkle his eyebrows. What did she expect? That he would insult her mother’s food? He was two years older than Shisui and Sakura, so he should act more mature and try to make sure no conflicts happened.

“I think I know what the genin test is about.”

Riku raised his eyebrow. How could she know? Kushina-sensei had said that it was weird enough that she knew about the exam.

“How?” Shisui asked.

“Well, when I found out about the hidden genin test, I tried to find more information about it. Konoha thinks that teamwork is something you must have in a team. So Kushina-sensei will try to make us compete against each other. I don’t know what she will do, but as long as we are together, we will pass the test.”

Shisui still had his suspicious look. “Are you sure that you’re right?”

Sakura nodded. “Yes. I know that we don’t like each other and I’m not trying to be your friend. As long as we can work together, that’s fine by me. I need to pass this test because I don’t want to be stuck in the genin corps or the Academy.”

“We don’t like you? Where-” Sakura interrupted him.

“I don’t really care if you like or dislike me. I just want us to work together.”

Riku still didn’t know where she got the idea that they didn’t like her. Shisui maybe disliked her a bit, but that was because she definitely seemed to hate them. But he never asked her why; she didn’t seem like she would listen. Riku also wondered why she had such a hurry with graduating early. She had said she wanted to earn money, which could mean that she was poor. But that didn’t seem right because her mother had made them three bentos and her clothes didn’t look old. So why did she want to graduate early?

“Okay, if we’re going to work with each other as a team, then we need to know everyone's weaknesses and strengths,” Riku said instead. “I’m trying to be a taijutsu and kenjutsu specialist, so my taijutsu is good, and I’m still learning how to wield a sword. My weakness is that I don’t have much chakra, and my stamina is lacking.”

Sakura gave him a small smile. “I’m trying to be combat medic-nin, so I will specialize in taijutsu, medical-ninjutsu, maybe elemental ninjutsu too. I would say that my taijutsu is decent, and I can already heal a little. My weakness is that I don’t have a lot of strength and stamina.”

“I will specialize in ninjutsu and genjutsu. I already know some genjutsus and jutsus, but when I have my sharingan, it will be a lot easier. My taijutsu is good, and I’m also really fast. My weakness is that my stamina is lacking, and I’m not strong.”

It seemed like they all had the same weakness. “So, we need to work more on stamina, and you two need to train your muscles while I need to meditate more.”

“Kushina-sensei will teach us things when we don’t have missions, so I think it’s better if we do this before she meets us in the mornings.”

Sakura agreed. “Yes. I think it’s good if we meet up one hour earlier. Half an hour can go to running while the other half can be for Fujioka-san meditating and for our strength training.”

Riku felt weird for being called Fujioka-san by his teammate. “You can call me Riku, Sakura-chan.”

“Riku- _ san _ , then.”

* * *

_ That meeting went better than I thought it would,  _ Sakura said when she was walking back home.

_ Yeah, I know. I’m surprised by how cooperative they were. Or maybe they are planning something… _

_ Zaku, you should give them a chance. Maybe this was just a misunderstanding _ , Sakura tried to say, but she didn’t listen.

_ How is letting me win a misunderstanding? You saw how he looked at me. He thinks I am some sort of lost puppy he can take care of, and he acts like we are familiar. And Uchiha is arrogant! Who does he think he is by telling me that being a ninja for money is selfish! Did he ever think that I am also trying to get some money for my family? No! Of course not. _

_ But you don’t do it for money. It was just an excuse. _

_ So? He doesn’t know about that! He doesn't know anything about me or how I live! I could barely have food on my plate, and he wouldn’t know about it!  _ Zaku ranted and started to feel the rage she felt before.

_ He wouldn’t think of you as poor because your clothes don't look old or tattered. You don’t look like you’re starving, and you gave them bentos.  _ Zaku could hear the hint of amusement in the older girl’s voice while she stated many things that said she wasn’t poor.

_ Still! He shouldn’t just assume things! I could still need the money for important things! And who’s side are you on? _

_ No, he shouldn’t, but you should give them a chance. You barely talked to them during the Academy, and I know you think your lunch together was pleasant! I know that you didn’t think it was bad!  _ Sakura teased her.

_ No! It was! Shut up! _

Zaku ignored Sakura’s laugh while she opened the door to the brothel. It was dark, so that’s why there were more people than it usually was on the day. 

“Zaku-chan, your mother said that she had something important to you,” Aiko-nee said. She was a beautiful woman with long black hair and purple eyes. “Oh, and congratulations for being a genin so young!”

“Thanks, nee-chan!”

She hurried up the stairs and ignored the moans she heard from the rooms. It must have been something important she wanted to say if her mother wanted to talk about it instantly. When she opened the door, the older woman was already sitting in one of the armchairs.

“Zaku-chan, come and sit down. I have something important to tell you.” When she did what mom told her, she continued. “With how high you scored on your written test, you must know that Kiri hates people with kekkei genkai, right?”

“Yes, I know. The people there are stupid to kill people with special abilities. If Kiri let people with kekkei genkai live, they would be a lot stronger than they are right now,” Zaku said, clearly irritated with their prejudice. “But why are we talking about it?”

She smiled. “I’m about to come to it. Up to I was thirteen, I lived with my family and clan. It was around that time when Kiri started to get jealous and scared because we were born with powers they could never get. I never wanted to become a ninja, so I lived a civilian life. Sometimes, I wish I had chosen the life of a shinobi, but maybe then I would have died that day when they massacred almost our whole clan. Only a few survivors lived, but we split up, and I was desperate for money, so I got this job.” She tilted her head. “Zaku, have you never wondered why we never got a cold when we lived on the streets? Or why everything gets colder when you get angry? Can you guess which clan we are from?”

Zaku’s mouth was open, and her green eyes were as big as saucers. A flash of a pretty boy who could do ice mirrors came up in her memory. How he almost killed the boy Sakura loved and how he then took a chidori in his chest for the person he loved the most. 

“Yuki.” She was surprised that she could still speak.

Her mother’s laugh was sweet and joyful. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this shocked before. But I guess it must be one, and now you know that we are not just some civilian nobodies.”

She cleared her voice. “Why are you telling me now?” Why didn’t she tell her before? She would have gotten more time to train on her kekkei genkai then.

“I intended to tell you when you were older, but you became a genin so fast, and I thought that it would be best if you knew now rather than later.”

Zaku nodded. Knowing about her bloodline limit now was better than later. She was still young and could easily put it in her fighting style without problem. It would also look really bad if she found out about this years later when she’s been a ninja for years. People would think she hides her ice release and that it would be some sort of sabotage. If she told the Hokage now, he wouldn’t be angry. Zaku and mother had only been here for a year, and if she told him when she just became a genin, so he would understand.

“It’s good that you told me now, or we would have been in big trouble.” She nodded. Mom seemed to know that it was a law to tell the Hokage if someone had a bloodline limit. “But how can I learn it?”

“It is something that comes naturally to you. You can manipulate water and wind easier than people who have that as a nature type. If you mix them, you get ice. There were some scrolls of jutsus in our clan, and I still think they are still there. So maybe one day, you could get them. But from now, you need to figure it out yourself.”

Zaku nodded and stood up. “This was a lot of information to take in. Goodnight, kaa-chan.”

“Goodnight.”

She put on her pajamas and brushed her teeth before lying down on the bed she shared with mom. From the other room, she could hear how mom was seducing a man. 

Zaku still had so many questions to ask.  _ Sakura, did you know about it?  _

_ No. I had no idea. Though I knew something was strange with your chakra. I guess I found out the answer now. _

_ Sakura, I will save Haku! Maybe I could reunite us with the others from our clan, and then we could be a family. _

She giggled.  _ You know, you are really similar to Sasuke before he went mad. He wanted to kill a certain man, and so do you. Both of your clans were massacred, and you are one of the last of your clan. You both want to find your brother, but for different reasons, of course. You also want to restore your clan, and you're obsessed with being the strongest and dislike people who don't want to fight against you. _

Zaku growled. “I’m nothing like him!”

_ Yes~ you are! Though you didn’t get messed up in the head, you will definitely not like him. I will make sure of it! _

Zaku didn’t argue. Sure, they did sound similar, but she would never do things he did! He betrayed his friends, followed the man who attacked his village, attacked five kages, and followed the man who wanted to kill his friend. Then, after they sealed a goddess, he killed his friend and made sure no one would wake up from the eternal Tsukuyomi. He had destroyed the world and killed Sakura, and that was why she was here. Uchiha Sasuke was the reason why she had so much on her shoulders, and a part of her hated him for it, while the other was thankful. Sakura is her greatest friend and the person she could share everything with. She never judged her; instead, she taught her how to do things differently. 

_ Aww! Love you too!  _

* * *

When Zaku woke up, she wasn’t surprised that she was still exhausted. Yesterday, she found out that she was on the same team as the people she disliked. Her sensei was Uzumaki Kushina, Naruto’s mother, and she clearly wasn’t just a civilian nobody. She came from a clan who had been massacred, and she had a bloodline limit. Some of the information still didn’t progress in her head.

_ I didn’t say this yesterday, but having Naruto’s mother as sensei will make things easier. It will be easier for us to meet Kakashi-sensei's team without looking weird. _

Zaku blinked. She was right. Kushina-sensei dated Naruto’s father, which was Obito’s sensei. They would meet each other, and maybe, she would have a chance to prevent Rin from dying so he wouldn’t get mad and plan to destroy the world. 

_ Kami! We will meet the younger version of the man who destroyed the world!  _ She exclaimed loudly in her head.

_ Yes, we will! _

She met Uchiha and Fujioka at seven o’clock as they had planned. Zaku thought it was best to tell her sensei first about her ice release and not her teammates. But first, she needed to pass the test.

“You ate breakfast, right?” Remembering how Sakura’s sensei told them not to eat and come very early. “It’s not healthy to not eat while we train as much as we do.”

Both of the boys frowned. “Why wouldn’t we eat breakfast?” 

Zaku looked into Uchiha’s black eyes and said with a straight face. “Because I had a dream that both of you didn’t eat breakfast, and that was the reason why I died. Sasuke had destroyed the world twenty years later because I couldn’t save it, and it was your fault.”

A whole minute went by without any of them saying a word. 

_ What the fuck! Why did I say that?  _

Sakura laughed.  _ THEIR FACES IS PRICELESS! _

She agreed. Their faces were hilarious. It was nice to see that she had made an Uchiha gape at her like she was the first Hokage in disguise. A bubble of laughter escaped from her throat, and she put a hand over her mouth to suffocate it, but it didn’t seem to help.

“I was kidding,” she giggled. “Your faces, I can’t-”

Zaku couldn’t stop laughing, and soon the boys joined her. It took them a while to stop before they could start running. 

“Fujioka-san, how come we have more chakra than you when you’re older than us?”

“I told you to call me Riku, Sakura-chan,” he corrected her. “But that’s because my father also has problems with increasing his chakra, so that’s why we have lower than the average ninja.”

_ Hmm, it almost reminds me of Lee’s problem, only that your friend here can use chakra.  _

_ He's not my friend! _

_ You just joked and laughed with them.  _

_ So? It doesn’t mean we are friends! _

If she could see Sakura, she was pretty sure she rolled her eyes now.  _ Sometimes, you are impossible. _

Zaku ignored the older girl. “So that’s why you want to specialize in taijutsu and kenjutsu. Because you have the disadvantage of having low chakra, you should try to increase your chakra control.”

The blonde boy smiled. “Yeah, that’s what my tou-san said. Like water and tree walking.”

She nodded and didn’t return the smile. Instead, she continued with her strength training.

“Already planning team training? I must say you seem rather confident that you will pass. dattebane,” Kushina-sensei said, looking at their sweaty bodies with an amused smile. “Though I must sadly say that only one or two of you will pass.”

“What do you mean that only one or two will pass?” she asked, scowling. If Zaku acted as she believed in what their sensei said, then Uchiha and Fujioka could play along.

It seemed like the black-haired boy took the hint. “Yeah, aren’t we gonna pass as a team?”

Their sensei just smirked. “No. Didn’t you listen to Sakura-chan? Only people with potential can have the luxury of having a jõnin-instructor. So only the strongest one of you can be my student, ‘ttebane”

“So, what is the test?” Riku asked.

The redhead dramatically pointed her finger at them. “You will have to fight against me. But I warn you; if you don’t fight me with the intent to kill, you will fail,” she said with a much darker voice before she smiled brightly. “We start… now!”

_ This is quite similar to the bell test _ , Sakura muttered.

Zaku bodyflicked to a tree and hid there. A second after, the boys were with her. 

“I have a plan,” Fujioka said. “We need to team up if we’re going to win against a jõnin. I am better at being offensive than defensive in taijutsu, so I will try my best to distract her while you, Shisui, will throw the biggest fireball you can at my signal. I don’t believe she will be hit by it, but it will be a good distraction. Then, here’s where you come in, Sakura-chan. You’re the sneakiest, so when sensei is distracted, you will attack her from behind and do your thing. The plan will probably change, but that’s what we have for now.”

Zaku was surprised over how determined and confident the usually soft-spoken boy was. The plan was okay, and it didn’t really matter if they could hit their sensei as long as they showed teamwork. 

“Good, I will go now.” He bodyflicked away.

The older boy tried to get a punch or kick on their sensei, but she blocked it like it was nothing. He pulled out his kunai and tried to stab her leg, but he missed it. Zaku knew that the boy was rather fast with his attacks but seeing him fight against their sensei made him look slow. Right then, he discreetly made a signal that it was Uchiha’s part now. 

He bodyflicked and jumped before he made the hand seals to the fireball jutsu. While the ball of fire came out of his mouth, Zaku hid behind the fire and snuck closer to her sensei, who avoided the fireball. The boys started to attack her, and she saw her chance to do something. She threw her kunai at her sensei and expected her to duck from it, not that it would actually go through her neck. Blood was slowly coming out of the hole she just made, and sensei fell on the ground.

Zaku couldn’t do anything more than stare at the cold body. She had just killed Uzumaki Kushina. The jinchũriki of the nine-tailed beast. Naruto wasn’t even born yet. Had she just given the world a faster downfall? It seems like the panic had caught up with her, and before she knew it, she puked on the grass. 

“Kami! We killed a jõnin! We killed a jõnin,” Shisui muttered out loud. “Technically, you did it, but we helped you!”

She started to breathe faster. Zaku could hear how hard her heart pounded in her chest and how she clutched her stomach as she would puke more. Shisui sat on the ground with his hands on his hair and stared at the body with widened eyes while he muttered some things she didn’t care to understand. The only one who was still calm was Riku. He looked down on their sensei’s body with an apathetic look.

“Sakura, what are we gonna do? Help us,” she whispered to herself, but she got no answer.

Was Sakura angry? She had killed her teammate's mother, and now he would never be born. Did she hate her now? If Zaku were her, she would hate her too. 

Because she couldn’t turn to the person she trusted most, she surprisingly seeked Riku’s guidance. 

“Wha-what should we-we do, R-Riku?”

“Are we going to hide the body? Or are we going to frame someone else for the murder? Or are we going to say it was Sakura who killed her? Or are we going to manipulate them into letting us free? Why didn’t the academy teach us this? If-”

The older boy raised his hand to quiet Shisui. “I’m going to say that it was my fault. It was my plan, and I should take full responsibility.”

Zaku felt pure rage, and all her anxiety was suddenly gone. “How dare you!  _ I  _ killed sensei, not  _ you _ ! I’m not some little defenseless girl you can save! So  _ I  _ will go to the Hokage and tell him  _ I  _ killed her!”

Shisui took a step forward and glared at her. “If you are going, I’m going too! If I hadn’t made that kick, you wouldn’t have killed her, so I go too!”

“No, you’re not! I’m going  _ alone _ !  _ I _ threw the kunai, so it’s  _ my  _ responsibility!”

“No! You both won’t come! If I hadn’t made that plan in the first place, Kushina-sensei would not have died! So it was  _ I  _ who actually killed her!”

Shisui growled. “If we all think we played a role in her death, we should just go to the Hokage and take our punishment! What could go worst? We could get a cell together!”

“No! The plan would have been fine if I didn’t throw it in a dangerous area! So it’s not your fault, and you are basically just sabotaging Konoha by going to prison!” Zaku argued and clenched her fist. Why couldn’t they understand?

“Ya’know… I actually thought that you would mourn more about my death than trying to get the credit for killing me ‘ttebane,” a familiar voice said, and she turned around to see her sensei alive.

“You're alive,” she and Shisui said in chorus. 

Kushina-sensei focused on Riku. “You’re the only one who isn't surprised that I’m alive. I guess you didn’t believe that Sakura-chan killed me.” 

“I thought it was weird for a jõnin to get killed by a simple kunai. Also, I knew I was in a genjutsu when I saw that there was no burn mark in the grass from Shisui’s fireball.”

Zaku looked at the grass and saw the burned mark that wasn’t there for a second. She felt how her cheeks became warmer. Of course, Kushina wouldn’t have died so fast! She was an Uzumaki and a jinchũriki! 

_ Why didn’t you tell me I was in a genjutsu? _

_ Because I wanted you to think for yourself.  _

“Why didn’t you tell us?” Shisui asked, sounding a bit accusative.

Riku avoided his eyes and scratched his head. “I thought it would teach us something.”

“Yeah, to not think you could outsmart me,” Kushina-sensei said slyly. “I heard your plan yesterday, so I asked Mikoto if she could put you under a genjutsu.”

A woman with black hair suddenly stood beside their sensei. She wore civilian clothes and smiled at them kindly.

_ That’s Sasuke’s mother!  _ Sakura gasped.

This was the woman who planned a coup d'etat and got killed by her own son while the other destroyed the world. Zaku couldn’t help but have her eyes on her longer than necessary. 

“Mikoto-baa, you helped her?” Shisui exclaimed.

She covered her smile with her hand. “I’m sorry for traumatizing you. But I think your performance made you all pass the test, right Kushi?”

Their sensei smiled, so all her teeth showed. “Yup, you pass! Now we’re team 11!”

* * *

“Kushina-sensei, I need to tell you something,” Zaku said when Shisui and Riku left. “It’s important.”

Her sensei’s face became more serious. “What is it about?”

“I just found out yesterday that I have a kekkei genk-” She was immediately interrupted by sensei’s arms around her neck.

“I KNEW IT! I KNEW IT ‘TTABANE!” 

The hug was suffocating, and she couldn’t breathe. “Sen… sei.” 

The older woman didn’t seem to care. “YOUR RED HAIR JUST SCREAMED UZUMAKI!”

_ Huh? She thinks you’re an Uzumaki _ , Sakura said, amused.

If Zaku saw her face, she would guess it was blue by not being given any oxygen. She patted her sensei’s back so she could finally release her. 

She coughed a little. “I-I’m not an Uzumaki, sensei. I have ice release.”

“Eeeh?”

“Yeah, I know. That was my reaction too.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Why didn’t your mother registered you like one?”

Zaku knew her sensei would ask her that question. She had thought about this since morning. “The Yuki clan was massacred by Kiri. Only a few survived. Being registered as a kekkei genkai user is very dangerous there, and that’s why my mother just didn’t outright say what we have, even though Konoha cherish their kekkei genkai users.” 

“Noo! I already have enough paperwork by just being your sensei. Now I need to do some more, ‘ttebane,” she whined. Her face and body had completely changed from serious to a goofball.

_ Her mood swings are almost on Sasuke’s level! _

She smiled at Sakura’s comment.

“Don’t look so smug, young lady. My training will be brutal tomorrow,” Kushina said while she smiled a sadistic smile. “See you later!”

_ When you die, do you think we both will be reincarnated in the same body? Doesn’t that mean- _

_ I will not die! _

_ Sure you won’t. _

* * *

“So you’re saying that Sakura-chan has the ice release?”

“Yup! If you know the Yuki clan's fate, then you could guess why her mother didn’t want us to know until now, ‘ttebane.”

Kushina knew what he thought during the short silence. Konoha got a new kekkei genkai, and the wielder showed promise by taking learning as easy as breathing. Her little student had got the same percent on the written test as Minato, which showed that she definitely knew how to think and what to do as a ninja better than her peers. But while she showed intelligence gathering by knowing about the secret genin test, she couldn’t be calm during stressful situations. They already showed to be on low chũnin in skill, but the only one who probably could take the next chũnin exam was Riku-chan. What they needed were experiences.

“I see your point. Understandably, she didn’t want to tell us until she felt safe knowing that they wouldn’t be in danger.”

“Well, if you don’t have anything more to say, bye! I have some paperwork to do!”

* * *

Kushina-sensei had not lied when she said the training would be brutal. This was something only the guys with bushy eyebrows would do on free will!

“Keep on running! It’s almost four hours!”

Zaku knew that if she stopped running, she would drop dead on the floor. Sensei had given them weights that weighed twenty pounds each and said they were supposed to wear them all the time. Then said that they should run as much as they could, without chakra, for four hours. 

The first hour had not been a problem for her, even though the weights were a pain in the ass. Zaku was happy that her teammates were also having a rough time. The Uchiha was panting as loud as her, and Fujioka was so sweaty he looked like he had just taken a swim. 

“Hah! I… can… hear… you… breath.”

She sighed inboard. Zaku had thought their argument was over an hour ago. “You’re… not… better... Uchiha!”

“Both of… you… shut… up!” 

She was too tired to raise an eyebrow at Fujioka. While he was an arrogant idiot who looked down on her, he didn’t seem the type to get easily irritated.

_ Not when you’ve run non-stop for almost four hours. _

“Four hours!”

Zaku let her whole body fall to the ground. Her legs ached so much that she could barely feel them and her lungs screamed for more oxygen. 

“Wa-water!” 

Sensei kneeled so she could pour water into Zaku’s mouth. She had run alongside them, but she didn’t look tired at all.

_ She is jõnin, but I wouldn’t be surprised if she could run for twelve hours without breaking a sweat. The perks of being a jinchũriki.  _

Zaku watched as her sensei poured water into her teammate's mouths. Her tongue was already thirsty for more water.

“You can rest in twenty minutes before you need to do 50 pull-ups and 50 sit-ups, ‘ttebane!” If someone asked her right now if she wanted to kill someone. It would be Kushina-sensei! That woman is a sadist! Did she want them to stunt their growth?

All of what could come out of her mouth was a groan. She hoped it sounded like an I’ll-kill-you groan.

The rest of the week was the same. They would run for four hours before they needed to do their pull-ups. While Zaku knew it would help her stamina grow, that didn’t mean she hated her sensei.

The next week didn’t have a great start. Konoha was now at war with Kumo and Iwa. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys for your comments and kudos, I really appreciate them! : )  
> I hope some of your questions were answered in this chapter! I will probably not update for a while because I have many things going on right now, but I will try to write as much as I can.


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